What are the WORST new bike trends for 2024

[UtahJoe]

How bout this one? 😬

hmm, how long until the XC guys will be wearing full faces?

Thinking about it....im wondering if the Downhill guys are starting to get annoyed that the XC guys are riding as hard of courses with 120mm bikes and wearing lycra.

lol. Praying for rain

Like I said, this is what everyone wants to see, crashing and carnage.

 

[stb222]

hmm, how long until the XC guys will be wearing full faces?

Thinking about it....im wondering if the Downhill guys are starting to get annoyed that the XC guys are riding as hard of courses with 120mm bikes and wearing lycra.

Like I said, this is what everyone wants to see, crashing and carnage.

To be fair, the B line suitable for NICA course.

 

[UtahJoe]

To be fair, the B line suitable for NICA course.

Sure but it makes it impossible to be competitive so there really is no B line

 

[stb222]

Sure but it makes it impossible to be competitive so there really is no B line

inherent risk of mtb

PFP has been so far off the front of these races it hasnt mattered anyways.

In all seriousness, as noted before, the wooden feature becomes a death trap if it rains. It shouldnt be included because of that.
Maybe the rocks, too however other than the drop, its just riding on rocks, not a rock garden.

 

[Jeremy]

Thinking about it....im wondering if the Downhill guys are starting to get annoyed that the XC guys are riding as hard of courses with 120mm bikes and wearing lycra.

Seems like the DH guys gear is starting to get tighter and tighter tho…

 

[Ian F]

Thinking about it....im wondering if the Downhill guys are starting to get annoyed that the XC guys are riding as hard of courses with 120mm bikes and wearing lycra.

Doubtful. While they've done a good job making these features look extreme in videos (no easy feat), it's nothing compared to the features on a World Cup DH course.

Of course, the difference hitting these features on lap 8 when you're gassed and technique starts to get sloppy.

 

[don]

hmm, how long until the XC guys will be wearing full faces?

Thinking about it....im wondering if the Downhill guys are starting to get annoyed that the XC guys are riding as hard of courses with 120mm bikes and wearing lycra.

Like I said, this is what everyone wants to see, crashing and carnage.

Guess a lot of you guys don't remember the NORBA days. The mid 90's Mt Snow's XC course was just as gnarly and Tomac would it on drop bars and 26" rim brakes. These are 2024 athletes on 2024 hardware - this shouldn't be out of their league.

And I don't want to see crashing and carnage. Like watching Tomac, Tinker and Furtado at Mt. Snow, I want to see skilled and talented riders racing over interesting terrain.

 

[stb222]

And I don't want to see crashing and carnage. Like watching Tomac, Tinker and Furtado at Mt. Snow, I want to see skilled and talented riders racing over interesting terrain.

THIS

 

[sundaydoug]

Guess a lot of you guys don't remember the NORBA days.

I remember racing NORBA National XC race at Snowshoe back around 2005. Pretty sure they used parts of the DH trails on that course. Super chunk. Rained like crazy for 2 days before the race so the heavy red clay mud in every crevice of the bike was a nice touch. I was done with XC racing after that.

 

[Kirt]

this one really shows the hard parts

 

[UtahJoe]

Doubtful. While they've done a good job making these features look extreme in videos (no easy feat), it's nothing compared to the features on a World Cup DH course.

Of course, the difference hitting these features on lap 8 when you're gassed and technique starts to get sloppy.

Well I wouldn't say it's nothing like it... they are both on the same Hillside at Crans Montana..... and this is now World cup DH

This is now world cup XC

I dont know, lines seem to be starting to get blurred in terms of jumps anyway, and the XC guys have way less suspension and no gear to wear.

The mid 90's Mt Snow's XC course was just as gnarly

ya im sorry, I have been to Mt snow, im not buying that. Now if you want to tell me that you put a same age Tomac on a modern bike and he'd be competitive in crans montana, I would agree.

And I don't want to see crashing and carnage. Like watching Tomac, Tinker and Furtado at Mt. Snow, I want to see skilled and talented riders racing over interesting terrain

THIS

Hey if you guys say you dont want to see crashing, great, I believe you....But Kevin has already posted a crashing videos on that drop.....its got more views than any of the other course videos with tons of comments praying for rain. That is what the algorithm wants and the promoters know it. They want to see goons on xc bikes tumbling off that rock ledge. Ya ok, not the top guys, but the back half of the field. I mean it goes back to why NORBA was popular with spectators and drew crowds. Bunch of goons racing on bikes most of us would throw in the trash today, crashing all over the place.

 

[Tony13]

While I agree with this sentiment in principle, do understand there may be non-selfish reasons a person may have music on while riding. There just might be medical reasons for the behavior. Don’t always assume the worst w/o having all the facts.

Granted, no doubt the majority are NOT doing it for medical reasons. Just putting the possibility out there.

medical reasons? Not sure what this means.

 

[stb222]

Well I wouldn't say it's nothing like it... they are both on the same Hillside at Crans Montana..... and this is now World cup DH
View attachment 241020

This is now world cup XC
View attachment 241021

I dont know, lines seem to be starting to get blurred in terms of jumps anyway, and the XC guys have way less suspension and no gear to wear.


ya im sorry, I have been to Mt snow, im not buying that. Now if you want to tell me that you put a same age Tomac on a modern bike and he'd be competitive in crans montana, I would agree.



Hey if you guys say you dont want to see crashing, great, I believe you....But Kevin has already posted a crashing videos on that drop.....its got more views than any of the other course videos with tons of comments praying for rain. That is what the algorithm wants and the promoters know it. They want to see goons on xc bikes tumbling off that rock ledge. Ya ok, not the top guys, but the back half of the field. I mean it goes back to why NORBA was popular with spectators and drew crowds. Bunch of goons racing on bikes most of us would throw in the trash today, crashing all over the place.

I understand your point. Crash segments have been a part of skate and bmx videos forever, which actually made me not a huge fan of seeing what can happen on the stuff we attempt. And even worse if they get legit hurt. But on the flipside, when the danger or tech level is higher, it makes it more
Impressive for the people who make it.

That being said, that video of the woman flying and falling into that section is a “good” one. But hoping they crash, no thanks.

 

[mwlikesbikes]

People love seeing crashes and shit blow up. This was a whole series of videos in the 80s.
I got a few of them somewhere with all my old VHS tapes that I can’t part with…

 

[UtahJoe]

I understand your point. Crash segments have been a part of skate and bmx videos forever, which actually made me not a huge fan of seeing what can happen on the stuff we attempt. And even worse if they get legit hurt. But on the flipside, when the danger or tech level is higher, it makes it more
Impressive for the people who make it.

That being said, that video of the woman flying and falling into that section is a “good” one. But hoping they crash, no thanks.

I saw this article this morning and it hits on the point I have been trying to make.....

Is the new Crans-Montana World Cup track too hard? - Canadian Cycling Magazine

What are the limits of cross country

cyclingmagazine.ca

But the Crans Montana course looks, well, divisive. It looks like course organizers are maybe trying a little too hard to show off for the cameras.

Its not that I feel the courses are too hard persay...we know that some of these riders are more than skilled enough to handle them....I feel like what the promoters are doing is making them hard specifically to entertain crowds with crashes. Using the riders as performing circus seals. I mean if you have been to a DH race, or motocross, etc....The tracks are hard, but the entertainment is really in watching the speed, the jumps, and how they rip thru things.....With this, you are on the edge of your seat waiting for someone to go OTB as every jump, etc is pretty skechy on XC bikes. Its the highwire walker with no net below stunt, just played out with bikes. Promotors get the money, fuck the riders and what happens to them. That's what I see and why I dislike some of the circus features....Rocks- GREAT, regular drops, steeps, etc.....but this is just stupid and put in for crowd entertainment.

I think we can all agree, its not really that hard, but when it rains, its going to be like instant slip and slide when someone hits the landing. People will be lined up to see the carnage. And gap added it for extra scary....surprised they didnt put an alligator mote in below it.

 

[Ian F]

Well I wouldn't say it's nothing like it... they are both on the same Hillside at Crans Montana..... and this is now World cup DH
View attachment 241020

This is now world cup XC
View attachment 241021

I dont know, lines seem to be starting to get blurred in terms of jumps anyway, and the XC guys have way less suspension and no gear to wear.


ya im sorry, I have been to Mt snow, im not buying that. Now if you want to tell me that you put a same age Tomac on a modern bike and he'd be competitive in crans montana, I would agree.



Hey if you guys say you dont want to see crashing, great, I believe you....But Kevin has already posted a crashing videos on that drop.....its got more views than any of the other course videos with tons of comments praying for rain. That is what the algorithm wants and the promoters know it. They want to see goons on xc bikes tumbling off that rock ledge. Ya ok, not the top guys, but the back half of the field. I mean it goes back to why NORBA was popular with spectators and drew crowds. Bunch of goons racing on bikes most of us would throw in the trash today, crashing all over the place.

Posting a picture of the most innocuous, nothing drop on a DH course isn't really telling the story. I doubt any XC racers are doing the 20'+ Lenzerheide drop on XC bikes:

That said, I'm not doing any of the drops or jumps or jumps on a modern XC WC course on a XC or trail bike. Maybe on my enduro bike. There's a reason why those racers are pros and I'm a fat, slow amateur.

Besides the drops and jumps, it's the technical sections of a WC DH course that are off the charts compared to WC XC. So much steeper and for longer and with deeper holes and ruts.

 

[goldsbar]

Guess a lot of you guys don't remember the NORBA days. The mid 90's Mt Snow's XC course was just as gnarly and Tomac would it on drop bars and 26" rim brakes. These are 2024 athletes on 2024 hardware - this shouldn't be out of their league.

And I don't want to see crashing and carnage. Like watching Tomac, Tinker and Furtado at Mt. Snow, I want to see skilled and talented riders racing over interesting terrain.

I crashed on Mt Snow plenty of times. Not sure it was possible to ride those wet roots on a steep 26r without crashing. But, I was crashing on roots. Get up and do it again. No big deal. Artificial rock lines are a different story.

 

[stb222]

I saw this article this morning and it hits on the point I have been trying to make.....

Is the new Crans-Montana World Cup track too hard? - Canadian Cycling Magazine

What are the limits of cross country

cyclingmagazine.ca

But the Crans Montana course looks, well, divisive. It looks like course organizers are maybe trying a little too hard to show off for the cameras.

Its not that I feel the courses are too hard persay...we know that some of these riders are more than skilled enough to handle them....I feel like what the promoters are doing is making them hard specifically to entertain crowds with crashes. Using the riders as performing circus seals. I mean if you have been to a DH race, or motocross, etc....The tracks are hard, but the entertainment is really in watching the speed, the jumps, and how they rip thru things.....With this, you are on the edge of your seat waiting for someone to go OTB as every jump, etc is pretty skechy on XC bikes. Its the highwire walker with no net below stunt, just played out with bikes. Promotors get the money, fuck the riders and what happens to them. That's what I see and why I dislike some of the circus features....Rocks- GREAT, regular drops, steeps, etc.....but this is just stupid and put in for crowd entertainment.

I think we can all agree, its not really that hard, but when it rains, its going to be like instant slip and slide when someone hits the landing. People will be lined up to see the carnage. And gap added it for extra scary....surprised they didnt put an alligator mote in below it.
View attachment 241029

That wooden thing and the log rides are dumb, lol

 

[don]

I remember racing NORBA National XC race at Snowshoe back around 2005. Pretty sure they used parts of the DH trails on that course. Super chunk. Rained like crazy for 2 days before the race so the heavy red clay mud in every crevice of the bike was a nice touch. I was done with XC racing after that.

I'm pretty sure Mt Snow was the same - parts of the DH course was used for the XC course.

Also, this was in the 90's when (I don't think) Mt. Snow didn't have any official bike trails on the mountain. IIRC the course was marked out a few weeks in advance and you'd have rake and ride sections and fresh cut stumps all over.

 

[don]

ya im sorry, I have been to Mt snow, im not buying that. Now if you want to tell me that you put a same age Tomac on a modern bike and he'd be competitive in crans montana, I would agree.

I knew it was a stretch with the Mt. Snow comparison but I do remember some sections of that course being dicey. One in particular was a 10' rock slab that I slid into a girl that went down at the bottom of it and I felt horrible. I was in my 20's, had raced bmx for all my teens and was riding VT and MA chunk a lot during that time so enjoyed riding it but saw a lot of folks having issues with it. And Tomac was an amazing rider to watch - he raced DH and DS and would place well in those disciplines too.

This is now world cup XC
View attachment 241021
I dont know, lines seem to be starting to get blurred in terms of jumps anyway, and the XC guys have way less suspension and no gear to wear.

Jump design has come along way - the above photo looks awesome but probably isn't that crazy. And the modern XC rider should at least know how to jump. These are kids in their 20's - they grew up with pump tracks, public DJ spots, plenty of lift assist options, modern trail jump/flow builds and GoPros and phones with awesome video. They are on their bikes multiple hours multiple days a week - this course shouldn't be anything crazy for them.

Hey if you guys say you dont want to see crashing, great, I believe you....But Kevin has already posted a crashing videos on that drop.....its got more views than any of the other course videos with tons of comments praying for rain. That is what the algorithm wants and the promoters know it. They want to see goons on xc bikes tumbling off that rock ledge. Ya ok, not the top guys, but the back half of the field. I mean it goes back to why NORBA was popular with spectators and drew crowds. Bunch of goons racing on bikes most of us would throw in the trash today, crashing all over the place.

And the algorithm makes the "hawk tauo" girl huge overnight along with fight clip from the NHL and hits from the NFL

And I thought NORBA was popular for the after hours naked crit but what do I know.